Nanny holidays - what is normal?

[mountaingoat]

We are first time employers so just want to know what is normal with nanny holidays.

We are very happy with our nanny generally. she works 2.5 days pw, and so far we have let her take whatever holiday she has asked for, even though she has not followed the rules in her contract e.g. taking 3 weeks in a row even though contract says she can't take more than two weeks at a time.

With various other holidays she has now used up all her paid leave (and hasn't left herself enough time for Christmas so don't know what we're going to do about that). Last week she asked for another 1.5 wks off for an urgent family holiday. We largely have a nanny because one of our children is disabled (and I am full time carer) and it gives me some respite care/ time with my other kids. (My DH works away from home for most of the working week so I'm on my own) So whilst I can be flexible it does leave me in the lurch when she is away, because I arrange things on nanny days I can't manage with all the children on my own. she has offered to make the time up but this isn't really the point. It means she is working on days when I don't need help, and I am left in the lurch on days I was expecting her to be here.

However I read other threads saying that nannies do generally end up with more than their contractual holiday and that employers just have to bite the bullet.

So is this normal, or are we being taken for a ride?

What is the reason for the urgent family holiday? I can understand a family emergency but a holiday?

I usually end up having more paid holiday than is in my contract but its because the family I work for go away and don't need me, not that I go away more than i should. If I wanted to choose more holiday than I should (2 weeks my choice 2 weeks my employers) then it would either be unpaid or my bosses could refuse.

How much holiday is she entitled to? I think you are within your rights to say no to this emergency family holiday and I would be having a chat about her taking too much holiday. I think she may be taking you for a ride

We had 4 weeks holiday for our nanny

2 weeks at our choosing and 2 of hers (plus bank
HOlidays)

I would be very unhappy at an emergency family holiday which left me in the lurch

If she hasnt flowed the rules and you have allowed her to do
This, she now feels able to demand whatever she wants

I would reign it in - you are her employer

However I read other threads saying that nannies do generally end up with more than their contractual holiday and that employers just have to bite the bullet.

^ no. This is when the family end up going away etc and the nanny ends up with extra time off. Not because the nanny takes any time she wants off!

your nanny has used all of her holiday up. end of story.

I would sit down and have a chat "unfortunately you have used up your annual leave for this year. You have left none for Christmas, which I'm sure you are aware of. We are willing to give you x amount at Christmas as a gesture of goodwill this time but will not be able to accommodate any other holiday requests until the new year of annual leave starts. However we trust that you will budget this better so that you have enough left for Christmas and any 'emergency holidays' - I hope you understand that when you are not here it is very difficult for me and we rely on you so can't accommodation additional holiday requests, sorry."

btw.. what is an 'emergency' holiday!?

What the others have said :)

I think she is trying it on because you are home in the way that she might not if you worked outside the home. She may ask to take it unpaid. I think if you don't refuse the leave though it will be a persistent problem.

I'd really curious to know what an "urgent family holiday" is.

Can she not count? How on earth did she 'forget' to factor in Christmas?

If she ends up working on days when you don't need her then you can just offer her unpaid leave for the "urgent family holiday" or her time off at Christmas.

Most nanny contracts have 4 weeks and the nanny chooses two and the family two. If we have had more time away then the two weeks then yes - our nanny has either got more holiday than she is entitled to or can come in to do a few odd jobs. If the nanny has more holiday than entitled to she has either made the time up (if it suits us) or has taken it unpaid.

So minimum holiday entitlement: 2.5 days x 5.6 = 14 days.
Bank/Public holidays that fall on a working day can be taken out of this minimum holiday entitlement. If that occurs on the .5 day, then .5 of a day is taken off.

Don't get confused about the 4 weeks holiday people are mentioning. The 4 weeks plus bank holidays applies to full-time workers, not part-time. So as your nanny works 2.5 days a week, their holiday entitlement is different and some years more/less bank holiadays will be on their working days.

Holiday year runs from Start date to anniversary (unless contract says otherwise), so have they used up all 14 days of their allowance, or just what has been accrued to date? If they are a new nanny and have not been employed by you for a year, perhaps write a new addition to the contract that states holiday year running from start date to anniversary, not Jan-Dec. Is that possible as a way of resulting in some annual holiday remaining to take at xmas?

I think she is taking the piss a bit. "urgent family holiday" - what is that? She has requested all the time off and your have granted it so far. As the employer it is up to deny or approve holiday requests. You can tell her that she can take the "urgent family holiday" but that it would be unpaid leave.

However I read other threads saying that nannies do generally end up with more than their contractual holiday and that employers just have to bite the bullet.

Yes but it is when employers approve all the nannies holiday and then the employer decides that they will go on holiday and thus not need the nanny.

Thanks everyone - confirmed what I was thinking which is I've been over flexible/accommodating and now paying the price.

Nanny has the standard holiday other people have described - 5.6 weeks holiday (so 4 weeks plus any bank hols which fall on normal working days)

the urgent holiday is to spend time with a sick/ elderly relative who lives abroad. TBH I am a sympathetic person and happy to accommodate where I can but the alarm bells are ringing because is the second holiday this year for this sort of family reason - for the other one the reason was different but similar. (This was a separate week not the 3 week holiday which was just a holiday).

When I was working my employers would have told me where to go if I had either asked for unpaid leave or 3 weeks in a row - even tho I was in a quite senior role.

If she has used all her holiday leave you don't have to grant her the extra but you could offer it as unpaid leave which might give you the money to be able to afford a temp nanny for some of her hours.

So she had already gone over her allowance or does contract not state 50/50 as had 3 weeks off in a row

If you can cope and sounds if you can as you don't work but obv nice to spend time with other dc then I would allow her time off but unpaid

Wonder if she will still want to go ......

Fwiw I generally get 5 weeks - 2 my choice and 2 theirs and week off at Xmas plus bh if fall on my day

And if employers go away more their 50% then I get time off and paid